How many people still remember that our country was "spawned" in two racial riots?How many people have regarded "racial harmony" for granted, and even regarded it as a form, a slogan?
On July 21, 1964, I passed by with Death.
That afternoon, I went to the Chinese Christian Youth (YMCA) behind the Chinese Christian Youth (YMCA) behind the Prince of Edward, the School of Technology (Singapore Institute of Technology) after school.Classmates stay in the dormitory of the Youth League and can use the sports facilities there for free.
After about four or five o'clock, I finished ping -pong, returned all, and returned home.I am the only person who lives in the east. I walked to Dapo alone and took the Zhangyi bus No. 1 or No. 2.But strangely, the bus driving to Xiaopo could not move forward, and a long car dragon was blocked ahead.Later, the bus was forced to divert, and gradually drove to Meizhi Road with the vehicle dragon, and turned around towards the urban area, but it was still blocked here.Stop along all the way, and finally came to the Britannia Club. This retaining building later inherited for the Singaporean armed forces and became NCO CLUB used by the commissioned officers.), The front is the busy junction of Meizhi Road and Bobas Batha Road, and it is very blocking.The speed of the bus is like a snail, and a car can only look at the British soldiers who are leisurely eating, drinking, and fun in the club. How ironic is the strong comparison.
That was a pre -historical period without a mobile communication network. The vehicle trapped on the bus just faintly felt something big, but I didn't know what was going on.The soldiers in the club may know, or they may not know that when we saw that we were trapped in the trapped car dragon, they couldn't help but disaster. I saw a few soldiers sitting in the window, facing the crowded bus to hold the glass, hippie smiling face with a hippie face smiling faces.Congratulations to the ground, extremely abominable!
The bus finally turned into the independent bridge that it usually won't travel. The speed was slightly faster. Soon after, I came to Kirima, transferred to Bayeri Road, and then transferred to this normal route of Changi Road.EssenceAt this time, the "landscape" on the road was completely different. I saw that people on the road marching north of the road were all Malay; the south of the road was only sparse pedestrians.Police holding a baton and shield, but the number of people is like a small witch compared to the parade.
When the bus gradually approached the buds, I saw that some of the houses along the road were burning, and some cars on the side of the road were also obviously burned.At this time, I started to realize that the situation was serious, but I was ignorant, and I couldn't imagine what happened.
"Malays are killing the Chinese, don't you know?"
The bus came to the buds of Bada, commonly known as the "front of the car", and no longer moved forward.Fortunately, there are only two stations here from my house, and it is not a problem to walk back.
The police instructed me to walk along the south of the road. I walked curiously at the crowds of the march and shouted, but suddenly there were one or two stone broken bricks and the like.There were two or three pieces of down, so I realized that I had become the goal of attack.Because there are almost no other people on the road on my side, and a few pedestrians do not know when they have disappeared, so I dare not "look around and look around", and quickly speed up my walk home!
As soon as I walked to my alley, I saw the anxious parents greeted far away. If I was relieved, I hurriedly pulled me into the house and saw my face full of confused expression.People are killing Chinese, don't you know? "
Oh my god, how can I know?I have never thought about such a thing that happened!
My family lives near the buds. This area is the most concentrated area of the Malays of the whole island. The north is full of Malayson Person. Although there are many Chinese in the south, they are in this Malaysian ocean.In the middle, it is just a drop in the sea.
I later learned that this was a "racial riots" between the Chinese and the Malays, and we were recognized as the "most dangerous region" of the Chinese here.
At this time, I knew scared. Recalling the scene just now, those people who looked at me and shouted loudly, those stone bricks that were obviously aimed at me, and those cars overturned on the side of the road.Those houses that are still burning in the zero star ... The "mob" is close at hand, and my ignorant teenager still "shakes over the city"!If it wasn't for the riot police that separated me from them, the consequences were simply unimaginable, and I would likely have become a statistical figure in the riots.
My father also told me at this time that as soon as he heard the news of racial riots, he quickly called a friend. He asked him to ride a motorcycle to the youth to find me and prepare to get me from his relatives and friends to "refuge".But the Shutai rushed to the youth meeting. I left.I tossed about two or three hours that day before returning home. I can imagine how hard my parents and family members are!
I learned after many years. At first, about 20,000 Malaysians gathered in front of the government building that day to celebrate the sacrifice to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday.The team came to the Ka Leng area and argued with the Chinese to provoke each other, and then evolved into a violent conflict. It was out of control and spread quickly, causing a large -scale racial riots across the island, and many people were injured.The news of the riots also spread quickly, and in the Chinese population, it became "Malays".
The government soon announced that the island was martial law, but my father thought that our situation was still very dangerous.He mobilized his family to find all the rights such as "weapons" such as iron sticks that night, and explained the task of "Baojia" to these men.
At that time, the rumors were already full of rumors, and people's hearts, especially those living in the "dangerous area", had to make the worst plans to protect their lives when necessary.This is the same as the Chinese, and the most of the Malay people who occupy the whole island must be the same.In fact, they are trapped in the vast "Chinese ocean", and how fear they are in their hearts can be imagined.
Malay neighbors are willing to provide protection
When deploying self -defense, the everyone in Malay residents next door suddenly shouted to us.The two of us are separated by the sandy Cronery Wall higher than the head. He moved a ladder and leaned on the side of the sand wall and climbed to us. He said that if we were attacked by other Malays, we could escape overLet them protect them.The spirit of watching and help exist at the Ganbar at the time.When his father was moved, he also came and told them that if they were attacked by Chinese, they could also escape from us to avoid refuge.
The two of us are in contact, and neither of them knows English, and they have always communicated with "Bagar Malaysia".In the era when English has not yet become a common language, many of the grassroots heterosexuality is actually communicated by Bagar Malaysia.
The rumors that night became worse, even if there were no wireless networks.The common people are communicating with each other through the telephone, and the news that they heard each other said, how many people have been killed, where the situation is urgent, and where the private party party is gathered mobilization, and some say that the police controlled by the federal government are favored by the horses.Come and so on.But after a while, all the calls could not be made. It turned out that the government continued to spread rumors to stop the spread of rumors, and simply cut off the people's telephone communication.
On the evening of martial law, the earth was extraordinarily peaceful, and even the air seemed to be condensed.Suddenly there was a melodious manner in the distance.Alas, "Who is deeper?"After listening, it turned out to be the righteous army!WhyYeah, this is a banned song!At that time, I had never heard of it in any public, and it was usually eavesdropped indoors.On that long night, this sudden "assembly" sounded extraordinarily tragic, and honestly, it was a bit inspiring.Who is so publicly playing this music at this time?Is it calling for?Or inspire morale, to be brave to the surrounding compatriots who "sit in sorrowful city", let the Zhiyin know that "someone is with you"?
At that time, Singapore had just joined Malaysia for less than a year and became a state of it, but the local Chinese generally did not trust the central government of Kuala Lumpur, and it was really loyal to this newly established country.It was a period when the country's identity was not established. The people's loyalty objects were fractured, and they often referred to the "ancestral country".Now that I have retrospect, the night -night player was not able to play the Chinese national anthem to be brave on the occasion of the compatriots all day long, and it was not very "out" in that time and space.
The experience of passing with death with death 60 years ago is still in sight, and although the Volunteer has heard too much in public in public, the late night of 60 years ago contained the "titles connecting the army to connect the army.The sound of the "charm" is still lingering in the ears.
There are premeditated riots
According to the official record, in July 1964, the whole island racial riots, with a total of 23 people killed and 454 were injured.Although the government quickly established a "goodwill committee" composed of leaders of all ethnic community in all 51 constituencies, and strived to eliminate people's concerns, block rumors, and restore racial harmony, it took 17 days before and after to stabilize the situation to stabilize the situation.Essence
This is the first racial riots between Chinese and Malaysians in Singapore. The local government of Singapore has blamed it on the storm of the extremists of Malaysia's ruling party UMNO.Former Social Affairs Minister Othman Wok said in an interview with the Strait Times on January 25, 1997 that he also participated in the rally and parade at the time, ranking in the back end in a two -mile team, and the riotIt erupted at the front end.
He told the Straits reporter: "I later discovered that this was planned by several people. One week after the riots, I went to Kuala Lumpur, and a former reporter from the Malay forward came to see me. He said he said he was 2 o'clock at 2 o'clockKnowing the riots will ask me, 'How can the riots start at 4:30, right?It was informed by someone because it would be a major news. "
In the book of the white man published in 2009, the secret book of the Singaporean ruling party, he further pointed out: "I believe this riots are premeditated, not spontaneous outbreak. They choose a religion very cleverlyThe parade, so that if we stop it, it will be called anti -Muslims.
Less than a month after the riots settled in July, racial riots broke out on September 2.The government promulgated martial law again. It was not until September 14 that the situation was controlled, but 13 people were dead and 106 were injured.
These two riots directly led to Singapore's independent fuse from Malaysia in 1965.This is also the reason why Singapore's independence resolutely implements diverse racism and diversified Chinese and cultural policies, as well as the reason why strong military and police forces have been established to firmly control national security in their own hands.
Since then, Singaporeans have finally had a clear object of loyalty.
National Day is about to come next Friday. When the people are happy to celebrate, how many people still remember that our country was "spawned" in two racial riots?How many people have regarded "racial harmony" for granted, and even regarded it as a form, a slogan?
Recalling the thrilling experience of his race riots 60 years ago, as well as the solemn commitment to the people of all ethnic groups since the country's independence, he chased the past and infinitely felt!
The author is the editor -in -chief of the United Morning Post
